Have you seen military posers in person?

When Home Land Security first started, the county of Westchester in the city I lived in White Plains, NY, hired a military P.O. who claimed he was in charge of security at Camp Red Leg a storage site for the 56th FAB Pershing missiles system. I later confirmed with my former Commander that the 4th Infantry Regiment was in charge of all Security at the site and the MP were merely just post gate security. In this case a veteran lied to obtain a newly created job in the local government that I was more qualified to perform.

Yes at a White Plains, NY Mall in a tan fatigue uniform collecting donates "for veterans", then again wearing the uniform at Sizzlers free a free meal on veterans day.

Oh yes, I have. A few were seals, one airborne, a few Marines, of course, all were snipers, which I was so easily took them apart, verbally of course.

no, no aaaaaaand NO

Have seen a few who would try to pass, but something is always out of place.

I have met a few want to be's and I don't like any of them. There's one who used to bum on the street corners in Lexington,Ky. The police finally got rid of him on other charges besides being a vagrant, so they put him in jail for some time.

A counter-point

Ok...stolen valor sucks. Hell, we have people on this board dogging each other out because they didn't deploy as often, body counts, or had the "wrong" job. We're a proud bunch and don't like seeing the image of ourselves tarnished.

That said, I see a theme with a lot of these guys I see in videos and pictures. Some attentive SM see's some random guy at the mall, notices something is amiss and uses the TMZ ambush tactic to dog him out. The theme? Most of these guys are in the "special forces". As in, special needs. I think most reasonable people would see this guys as such.

I'm no psychiatrist but I can see where some dude's fantasy of being in the Army swirled in with the fact that their IQ is well below the low water mark could make for some pretty interesting uniform choices and cover stories.

Yeah, tell them you are headed to the VA hospital, they should go with you, and they are quick to find excuses why they can not go right this minute!

I saw a guy once while working for Sears right after I got out, he was wearing Army ACUs pants, a dirty white t shirt and an ACU cap with the Marine Corp gunnery Sargent device on his cap. So I asked were you a 1st or a gunney? He got super pissed and flipped out on me, saying I didn't recognize the 1st Sargent insignia (not with crossed rifles it's not honey). umm ok no problem cause I really needed that job. Then he tried to get a military discount (4th of July sale I think it was 15% with military ID) and couldn't produce any type of ID, VFW, VA, retired etc. So I said no dice my friend. He really got embarrassed and let his wife handle the rest of the transaction. Really strange that one.

Occasionally I see supposedly homeless individuals on street corners panhandling. No rank or unit designations. They have always responded about the bad memories or PTSD or the likelihood they'll freak out if they talk about their service. I'm never offended, but saddened that they would disregard our actual service or that of our fallen friends, and that our country's citizens haven't helped them in a way that would make assuming a stolen valor position to get what they want or need. I do what can for them in the moment I have and move on.